1. Creatine Ms Mahindru

2. What is Creatine?  Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid based substance that helps supply energy to muscle and nerve cells  We can synthesize creatine in the liver, kidney, and pancreas  It is also found in meat type foods like steak, fish, pork, tuna, etc  Vegetarians may have less creatine

3. Cont…  Body stores most of the creatine in skeletal muscle to use when you exercise  Amount of creatine consumed from food is minimal compared to the amount needed to get the maximum benefit  20 grams ~ 16-18 steaks

4. How does Creatine Work?  Creatine in the form of phosphocreatine is an important store of energy in muscle cells  Creatine is often taken by athletes as a supplement for those wishing to gain muscle mass

5. Cont…  During intense exercise for half a minute, phosphocreatine is broken down to creatine and phosphate, and the energy released is used to regenerate the primary source of energy, ATP  Extra creatine in the muscle may also increase the rate of regeneration of phosphocreatine following exercise, which should mean less fatigue with repeated bursts of activity in training or in many sport competitions

6. Benefits of Creatine  Helps prevent against head injury  Beneficial for neuromuscular disorders

7. Side effects of Creatine  Pulls water into the muscle cells,, muscle injury, diarrhea, kidney failure, and perhaps even death. Therefore, other tissues may not be fully hydrated